Folding chair



H. C. BURNHAM FQEDING CHAIR I May 29, 1951 Filed Aug. 15, 1949 EWWWQPatented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING CHAIR Harry 0.Burnham, Grand Rapids, Mich. Application Aug'ustlfi, 1949, Serial No.110,291

' 4' Claims.

1 This invention relates to folding chairs,,'and is of the samegeneral'type and an improvement upon the folding chair disclosed in thepending joint application of myself and another, Ser. No.

87,918, filed April 16, 1949.

It is an object and purpose of the presentinvention to provide a simpleand'economic'ally constructed folding chair in which the chair, inits'unfolded and operative position, transmits the bracing pressure ofthe rear legs of the chair to the front legs thereof at the backs of thefront sides of said front legs, which are of hollow form through bearinglinks connecting the front legs, which are a part of the front frame ofthe chair, with the upper ends of the rear bracing legs. Such structureis foldable so as to bring the rear legs flat against and in parallelrelation to the front legs and the connection of the front and rear legsby interposed arms is .a shorter and more sturdy connection thandisclosed in the application previously identified.

An understanding of the invention .may behacl from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the chair open and unfolded in itsoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a generally horizontal section substantially on the plane ofline 22 of Fig. 3 looking downwardly, and

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section and side elevation substantially onthe plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figuresof the drawing.

In the structure of the chair, a front frame preferably of a generallyinverted U-shape, has two spaced apart sides, the lower end portions ofwhich form the front legs of the chair. Said frame member is made fromflat metal and is hollow, each of the legs and the connecting portionsat the upper ends of said legs having inner and outer spaced sides I,connected by an integral bend 2, closed at the rear sides by inturnedflanges 3 which come together at their adjacent edges except thatbetween the upper and lower ends of the legs I longitudinal slots 4 areprovided, being cut away to space the adjacent edges of the rear flanges3 as is shown in Fig. 1.

Within each of the leg portions of the front frame, a plate 5 of flatmetal is permanently secured substantially at each of the slots 4. Theplate of flat metal within each of the leg members of the front frame ofthe chair is longitudinally slotted, as indicated at 6, and, toward theupper end thereof, the slot is changed in direction as indicated at 'lto extend upwardly and forwardly of the main section 6 of said slot."

The legs 8, two in number, are also similarly shaped from sheet metaland at their upper ends are pressed inwardly and thence continueupwardly and in a forward direction in spaced ears 9. An arm ID of fiatrelatively heavy metal has a pivoted riveted connection, by means of arivet H, near one end of it to each of the fans of the ears 9 beinglocated between them. A rivet I2 is carried by each arm HI a distancebelow the rivet II "and extends through the slots 6 and 1, being adaptedto slidably traverse said slots in the movement of the rear legs 8 withrespect to the front frame and legs of the chair when moved from foldedto unfolded position.

The seat [3 of the chair is pivotally mounted upon and extends betweenthe front legs of the chair, its rear portion extending to and havingapivotal connection with a cross rod I4 which is between and connectedat its ends to the two rear legs 8. The pivotal mount of the seat l3 toturn about a horizontal axis may be in any desired manner as shown inthe previously identified application. Other cross rods connect thefrontand rear legs adjacent their lower ends for reinforcing andstrengthening, and each of the legs at its lower end may have a suitablefoot member attached thereto of rubber or other suitable compositionwhich preferably is of a friction character, and one which will not marsurfaces with which in contact.

When the chair is in its operative unfolded position, as in Figs. 1 and3 the arms In at their forward edges Illa bear against the back of theU-bends 2 of the front legs of the chair, the rivets l2 bearing againstthe rear edges of the upper branch slots 1. The ears 9 and arms 10 mayfreely pass through and into the slots 4. When the chair is folded theseat I3 is turned upwardly with a consequent downward movement of therear legs 8 causing the rivets [2 to first traverse the branch slots 1and afterward the main slots 6, until the rivets occupy substantiallythe dash line position shown in Fig. 3 with the arms IE! extendingdownwardly and to the rear, with the legs 8 against and parallelingtherear sides of the front legs.

The structure described is one of practical utility, strong and durable,readily manufactured and with no unsightly projections, therebyenhancing the appearance of the chair and adding to its utility inhandling, collapsing and stacking all danger of damage to the hands orclothing of the one folding the chair being eliminated.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A folding chair comprising, a front frame having spaced apart sidesto provide front legs for the chair inclining upwardly and to the rear,said sides being connected together at their upper portions and thesides of said frame being hollow, each side at its rear and between itsupper and lower ends having a longitudinal opening therein, a platewithin each side of the front frame located adjacent the openingstherein and permanently secured in place between the front and rear ofsaid sides of the frame, each of said plates being slotted lengthwisethereof having lower portions substantially paralleling the length ofthe plate and an upper portion extending forwardly and outwardly fromthe lower slot portion, two arms of flat metal, a rivet through each armpassing slidably through the slot of an associated plate, rear legspivotally connected at their upper ends, one to each of said arms, saidrear legs extending downwardly and to the rear,

the front'edges of said arms bearing against the front portions of andwithin said sides of the frame, and a seat pivotally mounted upon andextending between the sides of said front frame at a point between thefront and rear ends of the seat, said seat at its rear end having apivotal connection to the rear legs whereby, upon said seat being turnedupwardly at its front portion, said rear legs are moved downwardly toand against the rear sides of said sides of the front frame, and saidrivets carried by said arms traverse the slots in said plates to thelower ends of said slots, said arms being swung downwardly and to therear, the rear legs lying against and parallel to the lower portions ofthe sides of said front frame.

2. In a folding chair, spaced apart front legs adapted to extendupwardly and to the rear from their lower ends, a seat located betweensaid front legs and mounted thereon for turning movement about ahorizontal axis, means connecting the front legs at their upper ends ata distance above said seat, rear legsto which the rear end of said seatis pivotally connected at a 4 point below the upper ends of said rearlegs, said rear legs being adapted to extend downwardly and to the rear,link connections between the upper ends of the rear legs and said frontlegs adapted to be housed within said front legs and bear thereagainst,said front legs having openings at their rear sides for the passage ofsaid link connections therethrough and means for slidably and pivotallyconnecting said link connections to the front legs.

3. In a folding chair, spaced apart front legs adapted to extendupwardly and to the rear from their lower ends, said legs being hollowand at their rear sides having longitudinal openings therein, a seatlocated between said front legs and mounted thereon for turning movementabout a horizontal axis, said openings in the legs being one adjacenteach side of the chair seat,

,means connecting the front legs at their upper ends at a distance abovethe seat, rear legs to which the rear end of said seat is pivotallyconnected to a point below the upper ends of said rear legs, said rearlegs being adapted to extend downwardly and to the rear, spaced cars atthe upper end of each rear leg, two link connections" metal having anouter edge located against its associated front leg, within said leg,when the seat is in horizontal position.

HARRY C. BURNHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,789,295 Bauer Jan. 20, 19312,233,749 Salomon Mar. 4, 1941' the

